Combined door-hinging, door-checking, and door-holding device



May 18, 1948. R. I. SCHONITZER 7 2,441,600

COMBINED DOOR-HINGING, DOOR-CHECKING, AND DOOR-HOLDING DEVICE Original Filed Aug. 2, 1.940 2 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR.

Rune/.911 1 SCHONITZER:

ATTORNEYS.

May 18, 9 IR. 1.. SCHONITZER comsnmn DOOR-HINGING, DooR-cBEcKINe, AND noon-momma DEVICE Original Filed Aug. 2, 1940 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 w w M An A.

INVENTOR. Rana/ H Scum/725R ATTORNEYS v Patented May 18, 1948 UNITED STATES PATENT oFFice- COMBINED noon-mama, noon-canon mo, AND DOOR-HOLDING DEVICE Rudolph I. Schonitzer, Shaker Heights, Ohio Original application August 2, 1940, Serial No. 349,888. Divided and this application August 21, 1943, Serial No. 499,749

8 Claims. (01. 16 -141) concealed when the door is closed) on its sup-' porting structure, it being understood that one or more other hinge means generally will be usedfor the complete hinging of said door; (2) enabling the opening movement of said door to be checked or arrested when said door reaches the position desired for its fully open position; and (3) enabling said door to be releasably held or retained against closing from a, predetermined open position, such as'the fully open position of said door.

The present invention has for its general objects the provision of a device of the character described by which two or all three of the aforesaid functions may be effectively accomplished, the construction of such device and the arrangement of its parts being such that said device may be inexpensively manufactured and easily assembled with a door and its supporting structure.

Although the field of use of the present invention obviously is not limited to automobile doors, devices embodying such invention are particularly useful therewith, as will hereinafter appear.

More specific objects of the present invention are in part obvious and inpart will appear more in detail hereafter.

The present invention will be readily understood from the following description of one embodiment thereof as used with an automobile door, reference being had to the accompanying drawings in which a Fig. 1 is alongitudinal horizontal sectional view through the hinge edge portion of an automobile door and a corresponding portion of the automobile body on which said door is hinged by the use of one form of device embodying the present invention, the view being on the line l-l, Fig. 4, and the doorbeing in its closed position;

Fig. 2 is a view tion, the position'in which it is releasably held or retained by such device;

similar to Fig. 1, on the line 2-2, Fig. 3, with the door in its fully open posiv .Fig. 5 is a, detail vertical sectional v ew, 01. t

line 55, Fi .1; I

2 Fig. 6 is a detail vertical sectional view, on the line 6-9, Fig. 2; I

Fig. 7 is a top plan view of the housing of this form of device; i

Fig. 8 is an elevation of the inner side portion of said housing, as viewed from the line 8-8, Fig. '7; and

Fig. 9 is an elevation of the rear portion of said housing, as viewed from the line 9-9, Fig. 8.

Before the present invention is. described in detail, itis to be understood that such invention is not limited to the details of construction or the specific arrangement of partshereinillustrated or described, as the invention obviously may take other forms. It also is to be understood that the phraseology or terminology herein employe is for the purpose ,of description and not of limitation.

In the accompanying drawings, wherein is illustrated one form of device embodying the present invention, the reference numeral l8 designates a generally hollow sheet metal automobile door, such as is now in general use, and of which door only the hinge edge portion is here shown; and I9 designates the automobile body portion (hereinafter termed a body pillar) on which saiddoor is hinged by the use of said device, it being understood that other hinge means (not here shown) generally will be used incon- 'junction with the, present device for the complete hinging of said door on said body pillar.

,As best shown in Figs. 1 and 2, the device constituting the herein illustrated embodiment of the present invention includes a hinge leaf '20 of the so-called goose neck form, one end of said hinge leaf bein pivotallysecured to or associated with the body pillar l9 and the other end of said hinge leaf being rigidly or immovably secured to or associated with the door'lB. As a result, saiddoor not only is supported on said body pillar (and in the appended claims, said body pillar is designated as a supporting structure for the door structure hinged thereon) but also, is free to swing about its hinge axis (to be laterreferred to) between its fully closed position, as in Fig. 1, and its fully open position, as in Fig. 2, all as will i be readily understood.

As here shown, the rigidly secured end portion 2| of the hinge leaf 2!! lies within the hinge edge portion of the door l8 '(the hinge edge wall 22 of said door being provided with a, suitable opening 23 to receive such end portion of said hinge leaf) and is screwed or otherwise immovably secured vto the sheet metal inner side wall 24 of saidjdoor,

said door, being provided, as is usual, with asuitable trim panel or the like (not shown) by which its inner side wall 24 is desirably covered. For the pivotal connection of the other end 25 of said hinge leaf to the body pillar IS, a suitable sheet metal housing, illustrated in Figs. '7, 8 and 9, is here utilized, said housing being arranged within said body pillar and being welded or otherwise rigidly secured thereto.

Although said housing may take various forms, as will be readily understood, the one here utilized is of generally 0 shape'in-plan view" (See Figs. 1, 2 and '7) and comprisesa generally horizontal top flange 26, a corresponding; bottom: flange 2! and a generally vertical wall by which said top and bottom flanges are connected in spaced relation. For the rigid securement'of' said housing within and to said body pillar, the spaced inner and outer front portions28 of. the vertical wall of said housing (which portions herev engage: thesheet. metal hinge edge wall 29 of said body pillar on opposite sides. of the opening Silwithwhich such body pillarwall. is provided for the reception of the hingeleaf; 2d). are weldedor otherwise immovably secured to said v wall,- and the inner side portion. 3|? of? said vertical housing wall (which here lies alongside. the sheet. metal inner side-.wall32 of vsaidbody pillar) are welded or otherwise. immovably secured. to such sidewall. Ifdesired, oficourse,..a onerpiece housing may be utilized, but. for economy in manufacture, the. present housing. includes two sheet metal; members which, whenconnected together, give the; housing its, generally 6.. shape.

'As here: shown, the outer channel-shaped end portion ofthe inner housing member projects within the inner channeleshaped end. portion. of the outer housing member, and the overlapping flanges of such telescopically related. end portionsarewelded. orotherwise immovably connected togethen.

Extending through suitable apertures 33.v in the outer. side portionofthe topandbottom housing flanges 26- and' 2-1 is a: pintle. 34,. on which is pivotal-1y mounted, between said housing flanges, the end 25 01?- the hinge leaf 2.0, the effect of which-is tolocate thergoose neck portion of. such hinge leaf almostentirely within the. g nerally G-shapedhousing. of the bodypillar whenv the door It is'in.itstclosed-position, asclearlyshowrr in Fig. 1 and as-wrllbe, readilyunderstood. If desired and as here. shown, the outer side, portion of'suchhousing, to:whichthe hingev leaf 2!) is'pivotally connectedby meansof the pintle 34, may have: thecorresponding. portions of its flanges: 2'5; and Z1- suitably reenforced'. and hence made more rigid, which is; of course, particularly desirable if the two housing members heretofore referred? to are made of relatively light gauge 2G. and 21 and the front. connecting portion 3%;

of said reenforcing member lying. alongside the outer front portion 28 of the generally vertical housing wall, as clearly shown-in the accompany-ing' drawings;

- Pivotallysecured to: anintermediate. portion of the goose neck hinge leaf 2!! and extending rearwardly therefrom is an arm. 38, the arm. here shown "beingof metaland of generally flat form.

Forthe connection-of, said army to it, said. hinge leaf is here provided intermediate its-ends: with: a pair of inwardly extending, generally parallel (5 it, asbest shown in Figs. 1 and 2.

Duringopening movement of the door lit, the arm.38;'ispulled forwardly by the hinge leaf 2!], the movement of said hinge leaf at such time being clockwisajasviewed in Figs. 1 and 2) and during;- closing mjoyement of said door, said arm is' pushed rearwardly by said hinge leaf, the movement of said hinge leaf being then counterclockwise, as will be readily understood. In order to check or arrest the opening movement of said door, when it has. been swung to the position, desired; for its 'fullyopen position,. such as the position of. said door in Fig. 2, a suitable abutment is here provided on the rear end portion of the arm 38, saidarm. abutment. having cooperative engagement, for such purpose, with any suitable abutment of the. body pillar I9. Inasmuch as the present'body pillar abutment is of rigidor. immovable character, as will hereinafter appear, the arm abutment here utilized is a bumper member .45, of rubber or rubber-like materiaLthe resiliency of which .enablcsthe final openingmovement of thev door L8 to be yieldingly checked or. arrested when said bumper member is brought'into cooperative engagement with the body pillar abutment, all. as will .be readily und'erstood. To. retain the bumper'member $5 on the arm. 38, so that it cannot, slide rearwardly thereal'ong when; it cooperatively engages the body pillar abutment, .a cotter pin. cs (secured to said arm back for to the rear of said, bumper member) is here utilized, a sheet metal washer ll, being interposed between said cotter pin and said bumper member, if desired. and as here shown.

As. pointed out in my prior United States Patent, No. 2,043,976 for acombined door-holding and door-checking device, it. is quite desirable to releasably hold or retain an automobile door in its fully open position whenever it is moved thereto, andfor the effective accomplishment of that result, the device constituting this embodiment of the present invention includes one or mo e. retaining, partsfor retaining cooperation with one or more retainable parts of the arm 38 when. the. door i,8 .is in itsfully open position. Although such retaining and retainable. parts may take various forms, those utilized in this particular embodiment of the invention are of hegen ralform iscl s d in m -pen ing United States patent applica io o Combined door-checking an d r-h ld ng evi e application Serial No. 221,570, filed J uly ZTZ; 1938, now. Patent No. 2,291, 4. of July .8, 1.9.42

As. clearly sho n. F gs, Zan .3, th de ic constituting. this first emb dimentofith p s n invention includes two retaining, parts in the form. of. elon ated ro lers 5,0; arr n ed withi a generally flat sheet metal, casing 5| .andlying on opposite sides oi hearm 3.8, aid casing havin li ned slots for the exte si nthere hrough of said arm and being riveted or otherwise rigidly secured t the rear po tion, 41. of. the g erally vertical housing wall, the slots of said casing being in alignment, of course, with the housing wall slot 42. For resiliently pressing saidrollers into engagement with the upper and lower faces of the arm 38, leaf springs 52 are here utilized, a pair. of such leaf springs being effective upon each such roller for that purpose, as shown in Fig. 3. i I

For cooperation with the rollers 50, in the releasable retention of the door l8 in its fully open position whenever it is swung thereto, the arm 38 is here provided, adjacent tobut spaced from its bumper member 45, with a set of three projections 53, which constitute the retainable parts of said arm, ther being two such projections on the upper face of said arm and one such projection on the lower face thereof, as in my aforesaid application, Serial No. 221,570.

In this particular embodiment of the present invention, the rear wall of the roller casing constitutes the abutment of the body pillar l9 for cooperative engagement with the arm bumper member 45 in yieldingly checking or arresting the opening movement of the door [8 whenever it is swung to its fully open position. 'As will be readily understood, just before said door reaches its fully open position, the arm projections 53 pass between the-retaining rollers 50, and immediately thereafter said rollers move into positions behind such projections, under the infiuence of their leaf springs 52., The effect, of course, is the releasable retention of the door l8 in its fully open position, the rollers 50 being releasably confined between the arm projections 53 and the arm bumper member 45. Although the rollers 50 are pressed against the arm 38 with considerable force by their leaf springs 52, and although the height and inclination of the arm projections 53 are such as to insure the releasable retention of the door [8 in its fully open position whenever it is moved thereto, the leverage conditions which exist enable saiddoor to be readily closed when desired, as will be readily understood.

One of the important features of the device constituting this embodiment of the presentinvention is the relationship which exists between the inner side wall 32 of the body pillar l9 and the hinge center A of the door I8 (the hinge center of said door being on the longitudinal axis of the pintle 34) and the pivot center 13 of the arm 38. In Figs. 1 and 2, the letter C designates a dot-dash line which passes through the door hinge center A and the arm pivot center B when the door I8 is in its closed or Fig. 1 position; and the letter D designates a dot-dash line which passes through such centers A and B when said door is in its fully open or Fig. 2 position. The dot-dash line designated by the letter E in Figs. 1 and 2 is a line which passes through the door hinge center A and which is substantially normal to the general plane of the inner side wall 32 of the body pillar [9, the general plane of such side wall, as that term is here used, being more or less upright plane which not only includes such side wall but which also extends therebeyond. From an examination of Figs. 1 and 2, it will be apparent that the angle a: formed by the lines C and E is equal to the angle 11 formed by the lines D and E, and as a result, the arm pivot center B is substantially the same distance from the general plane of the body pillar inner side wall 3'2 in both the closed and fully open positions of the, door l8. Inasmuch as the arm 38 is substantially parallel to the general plane of such body pillar side wall 32 when said door is in its closed position, such arm (which is guided in its reciprocatory movement by the retaining rollers 50) will likewise be substantially parallel to the general plane of such body pillar side wall when said door is in fully open position, as a comparison of Figs. 1 and 2 indicates.

Although the advantages of this construction and relationship of parts are obvious, some of the specific advantages thereof which may be here pointed out are (1) the securement of a maximum door retention effect with minimum effort by the door retaining parts; (2) the reduction to a minimum of oscillation of the arm 38, which is quite important in automobile body construction; and (3) the ability to have the arm 38 of straight, rather than of curved or longitudinally bent, form, asthe use of a straight arm greatly increases the effectiveness of the door-checking and door-retaining functions of the device constituting this embodiment of the present invention, all as will be readily understood.

To those skilled in the art to which the present invention relates, other features-and advantages of devices embodying such invention will be evident from the foregoing description of one such embodiment.

The present application is a division of my copending application for Combined door-hinging, door-checking and door-holding devices, Serial No. 349,888, filed August 2, 1940, United States Patent No, 2,343,810 having issued on such application on March '7, 1944.

What I claim .is

1. In a device of the character described, a hinge leaf for rigid securement to a door, a bracket for rigid securement to a supporting structure for said door, said hinge leaf being pivotally connected to said bracket, and an arm pivotally connected to said hinge leaf for movement in said supporting structure, the pivot connection of said arm being substantially the same distance from the general plane of the inner side wall of said supporting structure when said door is in its closed and its fully open positions.

2. In a device of the character described, a hinge leaf for rigid securement to a door and for pivotal securement to the sup-porting structure for said door, and a substantially straight arm pivotally connected to said hinge leaf for movement in said supporting structure, the pivot connection of said arm being substantially the same distance from 'the general plane of the inner side Wall of said supporting structure when said door is in its closed and'its fully open positions.

3. In a device of the character described, a hinge leaf for rigid securement to a door, a bracket for rigid securement to a supporting structure for said door, said hinge. leaf being pivotally connected to said bracket, and a substantially straight arm pivotally connected to said hinge leaf for movement in said supporting structure, the pivot connection of said arm being substantially the same distance from the general plane of the inner side wall of said supporting structure when said door is in its closed and its fully open positions, the disposition of said arm being generally parallel with the general plane of the inner side wall of said supporting structure when said door is in its closed position.

4. A combined door-hinging and door-checking device, comprising a hinge leaf for rigid securement to a door, bracket means for rigid securement to and within the door supporting structure and to which bracket means said hinge leaf is pivotally connected, said bracket means having an apertured portion for substantially normal disposition relative: to the side walls of the; doorisupportingr structure, anarm extending through" said aperture and. pivotally connected to'sai'dshinge leaf, and anabutment on said arm outside of said bracket means for cooperation with an abutment of the apertured portion of saidbracketmeans in determining the fully open position ofsaid door, the: pivotal axis ofsaid armwhen the door is fully closed and fully open being: substantially the same distance from one of the sidewalls of the door supporting structure, with the result that saidarm has minimum 'departure from straight line movement as the door opens; and closes-- 5. A combined door-hinging and door-holding' device, comprising a hinge leaf for rigid securement tov a door, bracket, means for rigid securement to and within the door supporting structure and to -which bracket means said hinge leaf is pivotally connected, said bracket means having an apertured' portion for substantially normal disposition relative to the side walls of the door supporting structure,v an; arm extending through said. aperture and pivotally connected to said hinge leaf, a pair of rollers carried by the aperturedportion of, said bracket means on opposite sides of the; arm extending through said aperture, resilient means. yieldingly maintaining said. rollers in engagement with said arm, and means on said arm for cooperation with said rollers in releasably resisting, closing movement of said door from a predetermined open position, the pivotal axis of said arm when the door is fully closed and when in such, predetermined open position beingsubstantially the same distance fromone of the, side walls of the door supporting structure, with the result that said arm has minimum departure from straight line movement as. the door-opens. and closes.

6. A combined door-hinging, door-checking and doorho1ding device, comprising a hinge leaf for rigid securement. to a door, bracket means for rigid securement to and within the door supporting structure and to which bracket means said hinge leaf is pivotally' connected, said bracket means having a pair of side portions for disposition adjacent the side walls of the door supporting structure and connected by' an apertured portion. substantially normal to such side walls, an arm extending through said aperture and pivotally connected to said hinge leaf, a casing secured to the apertured portion of said bracket means adjacent said aperture, rollers carried by said casing, on opposite sides of the arm extending through said aperture, and resiliently maintained in engagement with said arm, means on said arm for cooperation with said rollers in releasably resisting closin movement of said door from a predeterminedcpen position, and an abutment on said arm outside of said bracket for'cooperation with said casing in determining the fully open position of. said door,,the pivotal axis means for rigid securement to and within the supporting structure for said door, said bracket means comprising two channel members shaped to jointly provide in plan View a U-shaped structure and connected with their channels facing the U-shaped opening thus providedand having their sidewalls at the top and bottom of the structure, said hinge leaf being pivotally connected to the sidewalls of one of said bracket members and the base of the other bracket memher having an apertured portion substantially parallel with the hinge edge wall or the door supporting structure, an arm extending through said aperture and pivotally connected to said hinge leaf, and an abutment on said arm cooperable with an abutment of said bracket means to check or arrest further opening iinovement of the door when said door reaches a predetermined open position.

8. In a device of the character described, a hinge leaf for rigid securement to a door and for pivotal securement to the supporting structure for said door, and a substantially straight arm pivotally connected to said hinge leaf for movement in said supporting structure, the angle formed by a line extending through the pivot axes of said hinge leaf and said arm when the door is closed and a line extending through said pivot axes when the door is fully opened being divisible into two equal parts by a line substantially normal to the inner side wall of the door supporting structure and extending through the hinge leaf pivot axis, whereby oscillation of said arm as it moves back and forth during opening and closing movements of the door is reduced to a minimum.

RUDOLPH I. SCHONITZER.

REFERENCES CITEE The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 313,457 Tuerk Mar. 3, 1885 2,141,298 Heinz Dec. 27, 1938 2,147,133 Ackerman (1) Feb. 14, 1939 2,163,323 Howe (1) June 20, 1-939 2,218,372 Ackerman (2) Oct. 15, 1940 2,219,800 Allen Oct, 29, 1940 2,228,876 Howe (2) Jan. 14, 1941 2,291,412 Schonitzer July '28, 1942 

